Lever control for motor-vehicles.



A. "i". STURT.

LEVER COITRCL POR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLIGATION FILED smv-12.1, 1911.

1,025,216. Panam my "2, im.

4 SHEETSHSHSET E.

51m/nawak@ A. T. STURT.

LEVER CONTROL PGR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLIoATIoN FILED sBPT.1,1911.

Drltentedl May 7, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 24 A. T. STU'RT.

LEVER UNTRL FOR MOTR VEHICLES.

APPLIUATIGN FILED SBPT-1. 19.11.

1,925,216. Patented May 7,1912.

4 SHEETSMSHBET 3.

A. T. STURT.

LEVER CONTROL POB MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1911. 1 ,025,21 6. Patend May 7, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

@vH/nm@ 0...... OPML UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED T. STURT, 0F FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO BUICK MOTOR CO., OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, .A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

LEVER CONTROL FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

Application led September 1, 1911.

Patented May 7, 1912. Serial No. 647,199.

To all whom t may concern lle it known that I, ALFRED T. S'rUR'r, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Flint. in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lever ('lontrols for Llenar-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In modern automobile construction where what is known as fore-door bodies are used, the levers controlling the brake and transmission mechanisms are ot'ten brought up inside of the body through the floor, but owing to the width and shape of the body thesey levers as ordinarily constructed must of necessity be located at a considerable distance. inward from the closed side or false door of the body and therefore take up much valuable space and are not convenient to operate.

The object of this invention is to provide a construction and arrangement of inside lever controlling mechanism especially adapted for foredoor'" bodies, and the invention consists in thel matters hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims,y reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a sectional detail of controlling mechanism embodying the invention, showing the same in operative position; Fig. l is a detail of the brake lever and sector showing the same in section on the line .1w-r of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. i! with the levers in section; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of the upper ends of the levers and adjacent parts; Fig. 5 is a section on the line g/*g/ of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail showing in plan view a portion of a fore-door automobile body with a mechanism embodying the invention in place thereon and parts broken away to show the construction; Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional detail of the lower ends of the operating levers and adjacent parts, showing a modified construction; Fig. 8 is a similar view showing a, further modified construction; and Fig. 9 is a side elevation of Fig. 8.

In the construction of automobile bodies of the fore-door type, it is necessary in order to give the front seat the proper length and not to make the dash execs sively wide, to curve the sides or fore-door i y l l of the body forwardly and inwardly from the seat to meet the dash and to also curve said sides outwardly and upwardly from the chassis frame or lower edge of the body to correspond with the width of the body opposite the front seat. In standard motor vehicle construction, the operating or control shafts of the variable speed transmission mechanism are necessarily positioned horizontally and :1t-'right angles to the longitudinal center line of the chassis and therefore, the control levers carried thereby, as ordinarily constructed. swing in apath parallel to said center line and approach the fore-door or body side as they are turned forwardly, thus necessitating the shortening of the levers and thel locating of the same at a'eonsiderable distance from said side. Much valuable space within the body is thus taken up by the levers and they are inconvenient to operate, being short and within th body below the upper edge of the body sue.

In the construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings as illustrating a preferred embodiment :if the invention, l is one of the side channel members of the chassis. which chassis may be of any preferred form and construction, and 2 is the casing of a variable speed transmission mechanism of any preferred type and construction, which casing is carried upon the chassis in the usual manner and is provided with bearings for an operating or control shaft 3 extending horizontally toward the channel member 1 at right an les thereto. Secured upon the shaft 3 wit in the casing 2 is an arm 4' for opcratin parts of a variable speed mechanism (not s own) and free to turn uponrsaid shaft is a sleeve 5 extending into the casing throu h one of the bearings thereon and provide with an arm (3 secured to its inner end for operating other parts of the mechanism. The outer end of the shaft 3 is supported and turns freely within a bearing member 7 therefor, secured within the channel of the member 1 and this bearing stud or member is turned down at its inner end to afford a pivotal support for a lever 8 which turns freely thereon and is formed with a downwardly extending arm 9 to which a rod 10 (see Fig. 6) may be attached for operating the emergency or outer brakes (not shown) of an or control hand lever 13 dwhich turns freely thereon and is provided with a hand grip 14 at its upper end. The hub 12 of the lever 11 abuts the outer end of the sleeve 5 and the hub 15 on the lower end of a lever 16 is pinned or otherwise secured to said end of said sleeve to turn the same, said hand lever 13 being held in place upon the hub 12 by 'said hub 15 to turn freely between the levers 11 and 16.

In Fig. 7 a modified construction is shown in which the shaft 3 is stopped short of the bearing stud 77 said shaft being unsupported at its outer end, and the brake lever 8 is formed with a trunnion 17 to engage and turn freely within the bea-ring member 7. A further modified construction is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 in which the levers are all located outside of the channel member 1 and the shaft 3 and sleeve 5 are extended through an opening in said member. The brake mechanism i's operated by means of a sleeve 18 extending through the opening in the channel bar and turning freely therein, and the sleeve 1.9 which corresponds to the sleeve4 5 tits within said sleeve, extending therethrough and turning freely therein upon the shaft 3 which is extended beyond both sleeves and turns independently of them. Laterally extending arms 2() on the outer end of the sleeve 18 extend outwardly at each side of the hubs of the other levers and the brake lever 21 which corresponds to the lever 3 of the other constructions is provided with a forked lower end forming arms 22 which are secured by bolts 23 to the arms 20 on the sleeve. The lever il issecured to the outer end of the shaft and the lever 13 turns freely between-said lever and the lever 16 which is secured to the sleeve 19 against the end of the sleeve 18. It is obvious that other arrangements maybe provided to adapt the levers to operate the different constructions and types ofl transmissions. The false door or fixed side 24 of the automobile body which extends forwardly from one end of the front seat., is eurved forwardly and inwardly to meet the end of the dash 25, as shown in plan view in Fig. 6, and is also curved upwardly and outwardly from the top of the member 1 upon which it rests, as shown in Fig. 1. The lover 3 is bent laterally to extend upwardly close to the inner face of the body and projef-ts above the upper edge or rail 26 of said' side which may lbe eut away slightly to re-y reive a guide sector 27 through the guide slot of which the said lever extends. ln plan iew, said sector is straight, and thus the longitudinal center line of its guide slot forms a chord of the curve extending at a slight angle to the longitudinal center line of the body. Said lever being pivoted at its lower end to turn upon an axis extending horizontally at right anglesto the longitudinal center lineof the body, when said lever is moved forwardly or rearwardly from mid position, it is caused -to bend laterally intermediate its ends as its u per end is guided in said slot toward or fiom the longitudinal center-line of the body, and said lever is therefore so made as to adapt it to bend. A hand grip or handle 29 on the upper end of said brake lever is formed with an axial bore for a rod 30 extending therethrough and with a chamber in its upper end for a head 31 on the rod and for a coiled spring 32 interposed between the head and the bottom of the chamber. The lower end of the rod is pivotally attached to a pawl 33 carried by the lever and adapted to engage notches 34 formed in the lower edge of a ange on the sector. The sector 27 is also formed ,with an inwardly extending portion having an H shot 35 through which the hand lever 13 extends with its handle portion 14 above the rail 26 and adjacent to the handle 29. This lever 13 and also the levers 11 and 16 are bent to extend upward substantially Yparallel/with the lever 8 and lie close to the side of the body, and like said lever 8 they are formed of spring metal and adapted to yield laterally to permit the hand lever to be moved from one end of the sector to the other and to be shifted laterally from one run to the other of the H slot. 'lhe levers 11 and 16 are preferably wider than the hand lever 13 and are formed at their upper ends with laterally extending lugs 36 to engage the edges of said hand lever adjacent to the sector. The portion 37 of the H-slot connecting the two longitudinal runs 38 .and 39 thereof permits of the shifting of the hand lever therethrough from one to the other of said slots, but lugs 40 extending into said connecting portion prevent the levers 11 and 16 from passing therethrough. Downwardly extending flanges 41 at each side of the connecting slot prevent the movement of the said levers 11 and 16 longitudinally of the sector when said levers are in mid or neutral position with their upper ends within said connecting slot and when the shifting lever 13 is in neutral position, it lies within the connecting slot between the lugs 4() with the upper ends of the operataing levers 11 and 16 engaging it and by their spring 'action tending to hold it in that position. When in neutral positipn. the .shifting or hand lever may be movel laterally into the longitudinal portion 38 of the H-slot against the spring action of the operating lever 11 resting against it and may then be shifted forwardly or rearwardly in said slot to move said operating lever and till operati1 the transmission inecllaninni. The moving oti traf hand lever laterally out ot the connecting slot. into the .slot 3S, springv thc opcrating,Y le\cr ll out ot' thc "onntg'cting `slot and discngagesy the hand lever l'ron'i the operating lever lt which is thnr, lcl't in the ci nnccting ,slot whcre it is held in neutral position li its own spring action which i,'icldingly holds 'it in Contact with the lugs 4t), as illuhtrated in Fig. 4. When the hand lever is moved l'roni neutral position into the slot 3S) the operating lever lo is lilefftvise aetuatvd and the` lover ll locked in neutral position. The ,spring action of the operating liners hold thcni engaged with lla'y hand le rvr and carh is rained to more with said hand lcvcr by the cnfiagljenient ot' the lugs Ilt' thcrcwitle whcn tl saine is shili'ted in thc longitudinal slots.

By this arrangement a construction is cured which is especially adapted for foredoiir bodics, the controlling -levcrs lying clon` to the false door or side where they taltc up but little space within the body and l'ollow substantially thc curve ot' the side in their niotcnicnt with their hand grips and sector adjacent 'o thc rail or upper edge of said sidc whore ther are convenient to opcrate and arc if; plain ricw ol`A thc operator. The angular pirlition ol' the Hector with relation to thc lorniril niorcnicnt ot the leicrs` causo" mail hurra to engage the side ot' thc slot in shitting. thus prcvcnting play and rattling;Y il; i ln' ncntingthe lercrslheiuwir tt itin f.. ilu-ings, tho nccosfsity l'or ,separate :Yprnfrr to hold tta` lcrcrs in pornlion. i olivia-lcd,

lint ino' lun lolly dcsrril'cil my invention what lY claim is:

l. li; a unito whlolc, the combination with r: body' haring; a eide portion extending longitinlinah \y nl the lait' in a liuc tht` nur oral lircction oi' which f an analil to the longitudinal cifntcr liuc ot' tluhotly. of a controllii lt'vcr adhircn. to aid sidi" porA tion ot' lla` hotly tor actuatingF controlliin,r incchani-1nl and pooled lo turn upon a horizontal a\. exil-inline' al right angine' to tho longitudinal contri' lino ot' tho hotly and :nluirlcd lo yiclal laterally tnltinfctllatl tlsv onda` lo permit il opta-i cod lo l'ollovt -uili stantiallr `aid liu ol' aid lsidc portion of thc liodiY an .said lctvr il@ tnint'd upon ils pivot. l

i. lu a inoloi' rchiclc, lhi'.- continuation ol' :in automobile bod) oly lltc loro door type limiti;- a li.\ l sido portion with the upper cdu'c oll Said portion oxlcnllin;` l'orwardly and inwardly at an anglc lo the longiludiY nal ccnlcr liuc ol lla; body. :i controllingY |c\cr l'ol' actuating controlling incchaniein,

[motcd to lnrn upon :in axis` at right anglcs` to thc lon; -itndinal ccnlcr lino olthc body. and Inranh naountcd upon said snlc portion ol' thc body adjat'cnt lo ila upper cdg'c to guide the upper end of said lever and cause the same to rnove in a. path extending along said edge.

3. In a motor vehicle, the combination of an automobile body having an inwardly and forwardly curved side portion, a. controlling lever pivoted at its lower end lbelow the body upon a horizontal axis extending at; right angles to the horizontal center line of the body, said lever extending u ward adjacent to the inner face of the sai orton of the body, and a sector secure to said portion of the body near the upper edge thereof having a guide slot for said lever extending at an angle to the longitudinal center line of the body, said lever being adapted to yield laterally intermediate its ends to permit the saine to move in said slot.

4. 1n a mot/or vehicle, the combination of a vehicle body having a fixed side portion curved inwardly and forwardly and curved upwardly and .outwardly from its lower edge, a lever for operating controlling mechanism pivotally supported below the plane of the body adjacent to the lower edge of said side portion, to turn upon an axls extending at right angles to the longitudinal center line of said body, said lever being bent laterally and extending upward adjacent' to the inner face of said side portion and being resilienty to yield laterall intermediate its ends, and a sector secure to said hotly portion near the upper edge thereof and having a guide slot for said lever the center line of which slot t'ornis a chord of the curve of said portion, extending at an angle to the longitudinal center line of the liltly.

5. ln a motor vehicle, the combination with a chasais` of a vehicle body havinnr a seat, a dash and'a fixed side curving orwardly and inwardly from the end of the seatV to the dash and supported uson the chassis, a pluralit)v of levers pivotally supported at their lower ends to turn upon a. horizontal axis cxtcndiug at righi. angles to the longitudinal center line of the body and cul-vcd outwardly and extended upwardly adjacent to the inner face of the said curved hotly `side, said levers being resilient to permit of their being llexed laterally, a handle portion upon one of said levers projecting l ahovc tht` upper edge of the body side, said lcrcr being adapted to engage and turn the olla-r h-rcrs, and a scot or secured to the body side and haring.,r an Hv'slot through which thc lcrcr having tho handle projects.

o. in a motor vehicle. the Combination with a. chassis and a vehicle body mounted upon said chassis, ot controlling mechanism upon thc chassis comprising a horizontal shall and a sleeve upon the shaft exlcnding' al right angles to the longitudinal ccutcr Iinc ot' thc chassis, an operating lever secured to thc Shaft, an operating lever se mired io the sleeve, ii 'hand lever between its@ opm'niing levers to tim; fiely upon im iixif ifointitiirnt willi tho axis of the liiift` all of siii-ii levers laf-ing bont laterally and extended 'iiiiwiiiilljv willi-iii the body adjacent to tiio side tin-roof and lining: rwilient to flex lai-- efiiiiy, :mii iii ixpoiwiting lieven 'being' formed at their iippei endS to detriolinlily en gage the mind inver and lio moved thereby, it socios: having? a slot for the hi'iiifi lovii. and ino-(ins on the sector for engaging :intl lioidiiig canili operating ievei in neutral po sition ivliiltI tin other operating lever is iii'- iiizitiil liv the iii-:nd litmus,

i'. In a i L veliit'lo. the Coinl'iii'iii'iion wit? :i alize@ :intl vehicle liody upon miti iviiztfesis, of a in filmt iov'ei' for operating liiiiki'- inijeoliiinisni, 4ijivotiillji supported 'upon tin, tiiisf-:is to turn upon a horizontal axis lending :it right angles to the longitudinal center line of the chassis, said lever lining resilient and extending upward Within thc liotlv adjacent to a side thereof, reilient op @rating levers for actuating coi'itioiling nietlianisnn pivoteii :it their lower @nds to tnin iipoii :in axis nxtonding at. right angles to tls@ horizontal Panter line of the clizissiis. :i resilient linntl lover pivototl to tiirn upon :in axis coincident with the axis of tlio other levers and adapted to be engaged by said npii'iiting lovers ut. their tippt-,1' ends to tiir'n tflii: sinne, finti lifinil ievei'ff. snitl sot-toi lining positinncil with saiii slots QXtonding at un :ingle to the longitiifiinai Centri' line of the body. and iiioiiiis for holding tlm lovers in the position to which they :ire turned.

ii Sector having slots for thtl bi'iilne i tz: at i'iijlil inglesi to ttw lono'zmzliniil con ig Sleeve mi' lino of the ci A on simi shaft., n veniolo body iipim the tliassis l'iriviiig u iitiwi will@ viii-veil iniviii'iily and forvvmiily anti i-iii'voil izlnviiriily :infl outwardly i'ioiii nifl vliiifiiix'7 iin ogfwinting lever ,iirtii to ti Y slioi'i, no, opvrnting ovi 50 xiii-oil lo tho -iiiil'n lizinf'l im tra to tiii'n liitn'evii :mili itvii, nii if Smil invern being lwnt iinfl irxtiiii u giivfirii 'iilizivont to the infinituvo mi" f., l ail@ mi" tliv iioiiy iiiii'i Suivi iw'ovn boing! iifsiliefnt i'o a :'iifioi' ,Qt-rsi to wml lim" iiiia litigi* iin-ti fiiiinofl nl in H-Llot extendinyl in i1 iniijfjitfi limiti fiiitwtiiiii :it iin angle to iii@ loiifiiliifliniil i'intvi iiiw it tlio lioil'v1 suini lot living ziiliiptvil to receive lw lippe? unil oi' tho iiiiiiii invii? to guidi tliisimio, liwrl4 on tlitl iii'ipfli' einlf of" tiiif oigiiiiting' lovois to outing? lita otlgiiflf of tliif ltisiiiffl lover iidjnioit to tliif Sevior, :imi ling; on tlw soitoito @n ,gzigii liv 'ipififzitirig;r leven und iioliloiin of tlii, .mine mit of vngiig'uinent ivili tlii liiii'iti lover' iliii'ing; tlio optizitioii of the otliii' liv siiii limiti lei'oix In toiinioiiy ii'tioreof l, :iflit my signiitiiio iii piwientie oi tivo ivitnisf,

iinifiniin i. STURT.

YV itnoaws ll. J. Miami', K. (ioiiooic. 

